Gary’s 2023 Favorite Mexican Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

Every restaurant on this list has at least one Mexican dish I like, but the 2023 opening of Azteca D’Oro and its more authentic menu (with items like the chicken taquitos shown here), plus great “vibe” nudged it past Cantina, which has equally great fajitas, and Señor Tequila, which revamped its menu in 2023. 

1. Azteca D’Oro

2. Cantina Real Mexican 

3. Señor Tequila  

4. Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant 

5. Tacos El Patron

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Bars & Taverns In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel 

No one has ever doubted that Jannah and I love to sit at the bar and enjoy a great cocktail with our meal and there are several other favorite places that didn’t make this list, including Miller’s Ale House, Carrabba’s, Bonefish, Grillsmith and Outback, but Grill at Morris Bridge gets this year’s nod for its consistency. 

1. Grill at Morris Bridge 

2. TrebleMakers 

3. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 

4. Fat Rabbit Pub 

5. Cooper’s Hawk 

6. Joe Whiskey’s

7. Via Italia 

8. The Living Room 

9. Bubba’s 33 

10. (tie) Brass Tap & Noble Crust 

Bubba’s 33 — Wesley Chapel’s Scratch Kitchen Celebrates Four Years! 

The new BBQ chicken pizza (above), the bacon cheeseburger (below left), the Super Stromboli (Below) and the Signature ribeye steak (below, Middle) at Bubba’s 33, located off S.R. 56 near I-75. 

Unlike most other local restaurants, Bubba’s 33’s menu has changed very little since it first opened on the south side of S.R. 56 (just east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel four years ago. 

“That’s an indication that our customers enjoy our food,” says managing partner (since July 2021) Joe Vergona. “And we take a lot of pride in it. Almost everything we make is from scratch.” 

Vergona says that although Bubba’s 33’s fries and pickles aren’t made from scratch, “pretty much all of our sauces are. We even make our own spice mixes.” 

Bubba’s 33, the sports bar chain created in 2013 by Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor, today has 45 locations in 15 U.S. states, with Texas having 19 of those. The Wesley Chapel Bubba’s 33 was the chain’s first link in Florida. 


Try the California chicken entrée. 

Jannah and I have been Bubba’s 33 fans since the beginning, and many members of our family have their own favorites. I love both the grilled and the espresso-marinated Signature, Texas Roadhouse-quality ribeye steaks; Jannah’s favorites are the classic cheeseburger with crispy bacon (and the tasty sweet potato fries) and the California chicken (grilled chicken breast topped with avocado, pico de gallo, jack cheese and scratch-made honey lime sauce); Jannah’s daughter Lauren is partial to the creamy chipotle pasta (with shrimp and grilled chicken, roasted peppers, onions and mushrooms tossed in spicy chipotle cream sauce and topped with cilantro and parmesan); and our granddaughter Rosie is crazy for the chicken & bacon mac n’ cheese. I’m also a fan of the fried chicken dinner (although I get the scratch-made cream gravy on the side) and I recently also enjoyed the Super Stromboli (homemade pizza dough stuffed with pepperoni, Genoa salami, sweet Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, provolone and pizza sauce). 

Meanwhile, photographer Charmaine George sings the praises of the shotgun shrimp appetizer (“It’s just spicy enough and delicious,” she says), the new BBQ chicken pizza (with pepper jack cheese added to the usual Bubba’s 33 blend of cheeses, plus red onions, banana peppers and scratch-made honey chipotle BBQ sauce) and especially, the “Big Ol’”onion rings. 

“We think our onion rings are the best in Wesley Chapel,” Vergona says, and it’s hard to argue with him. “The crunchiness and the flavor of the batter are definitely different,” Charmaine adds. 

And, while Bubba’s 33’s hand-made pizzas can’t be called “New York style” (which is, of course, my favorite), they are super-tasty, have a crispy crust and are made with outstanding ingredients. My favorites are the meaty-meaty and the Dickie V (with Italian sausage, cherry peppers, fresh basil, grated parmesan and a zesty garlic buttered crust). 

The desserts can’t be called anything but decadent. Both the chocolate chip cookie sundae and OreoÂź brownie are served with vanilla ice cream and the Bubba’s cheesecake is NY-style and offered with your choice of strawberry glaze, fudge, caramel and pecan toppings. 

About The Place 

Bubba’s 33 features high-definition TVs all around, and has an excellent drink menu with a full premium-liquor bar and imported, domestic and craft beer options at great prices, so it’s the perfect place for watching football and hockey games and we also appreciate the nonstop rock videos. 

The delicious “Big Ol’” onion rings at Bubba’s 33.

Specials include Monday Madness, when any burger on the menu is just $10.99. Mondays also are “Ditch the Digital” nights, where you get a free dessert or appetizer for keeping your phone in a sealed pizza box and playing board games throughout your meal. 

“We have lots of regulars coming in for Ditch the Digital,” Vergona says. “It’s fun!” 

Speaking of free appetizers, you also can get one (up to $8.99) with the purchase of any entrĂ©e with the ad on pg. 45 of this issue. See the ad for details and restrictions. 

Tuesday is Pizza Night, when any 12” (small) pizza is just $12.99. Tuesday also is free Music Bingo night (7 p.m.-9 p.m.). On most Wednesdays, Magic Mike (a magician, not a male dancer) performs and one kid 12 & under eats free with each paid adult meal. 

Vergona says a four-year anniversary celebration is in the works for later this month. Call or visit Bubba’s 33 for details. 

Bubba’s 33 (26340 Silver Maple Pkwy.) is open every day, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. For more info, call (813) 522-5090, visit Bubbas33.com.

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Latin Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel 

For me, this was one of the toughest of all categories, as virtually every place on the list has multiple dishes among my favorites. But, Lima’s ceviche and tallarin saltado de pollo (photo) keep it ahead of the merluza at Las Palmas, the ceviche at Pisco, the chicharrons at Rice N Beans and the cachapas at Chamo Bites. 

1. Lima Peruvian Cuisine 

2. Las Palmas Latin Grill 

3. Pisco Express 

4. Rice n Beans Puerto Rico

5. Chamo Bites 

6. Rice n Beans Express

7. Mojo Grill 

8. La Creacion Xpress 

9. Latin Twist CafĂ© 

10. Arepa Mia 

Gary’s Top 25 Favorite Wesley Chapel Restaurants Of 2023! 

Treble Makers Is Again Gary’s Favorite In Wesley Chapel! The Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant Beats Out Falabella Family Bistro & Zukku-San For The Top Spot! 

Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager checks out a few of his favorite dishes at TrebleMakers, his favorite restaurant in Wesley Chapel again for 2023. (Photo by Charmaine George) 

 Every year, after our readers’ favorite restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel are published, I like to provide our readers with my own list of favorites — and there are always many differences between your choices and mine. 

I also always have a few haters every year who say that my reviews aren’t “real,” that I only pick my favorites based on which restaurants advertise with me and/or give me free food, that I have no taste whatsoever, etc. 

The primary thing these haters don’t seem (or want) to understand or believe is that the restaurants I tell you about in my annual “Gary’s Favorites” are not just the places I like the most, they’re also the places where I spend the most of my own money. And yes, when you consider that there are literally dozens of restaurants named on of this issue, Jannah and I do spend a lot of our money dining out (and taking out food) — I’m betting more than just about anyone else in our distribution areas, especially when you consider our combined annual income. 

The “trolls” also don’t seem to “get” the other reason I give my opinions on local eateries every year is that I so appreciate the feedback — both positive and negative — I get after “Gary’s Favorites” are published each year. 

I can’t even tell you how many people come up to me and Jannah when we’re sitting at the bar at The Grill at Morris Bridge, TrebleMakers, Stonewood, Zukku-San, Azteca D’Oro or any of our other favorite eateries to tell me what they think of my opinions. The vast majority of them say things like, “I only tried this place because of what you wrote about them” or “I didn’t really love this place the first time I tried it, but I decided to give it another try because of you.” If you’ve never felt that kind of love from strangers, I promise you that it’s one of the things that most makes the long hours I still put in 30 years since I first started this job worthwhile. 

And yes, a few people also come up to me to tell me that they totally disagree with my assessment of one restaurant or another. Others also tell me that they read my reviews “even though I know they aren’t real.” 

But, the fact is that whether my haters believe it or not, my dining reviews are 100% real. And, unlike the online trolls who think they’re dining “critics” because they tell their few followers that they hated something they ate (or the service they received) at a particular place, I still tell every restaurant owner in our area that when I write a review of their eatery, I will tell more than 170,000 of my “closest friends” (that’s the total possible number of readers we reach in print) everything I like about their place. Anything I don’t like I will tell the restaurant owner about — and pretty much all of them appreciate this approach a lot more then online trolls who cause their overall online ratings to drop. 

Despite all of the new restaurants that opened in the area I call Wesley Chapel — which includes everything from west of the Tampa Premium Outlets to Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz — the only newcomers to make my top-25 are Azteca D’Oro and Cooper’s Hawk. And, even though we had never dined at any of family-owned Azteca’s previous locations, Cooper’s Hawk had a bit of an unfair advantage for me because Jannah and I have been eating and enjoying the huge varieties of wines at the Tampa location for the last nine years, so we’d already sampled most of the menu. Other newbies that received consideration but didn’t make my top-25 cut include Slim Chickens, Shuckin’ Shack, Crazy Sushi, Rice N’ Beans Express and even the Leonidas Chocolates CafĂ© which only added sandwiches and salads in Oct. of 2023. 

1. TrebleMakers   

6034 Wesley Grove Blvd., The Grove at Wesley Chapel 

(813) 406-4371 

TrebleMakersofWC.com.com

TrebleMakers continues to be my Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel, and all you’d have to do to know this is true is check my bank records to see just how many times Jannah and I have eaten there every month since it opened. We just love sitting at the bar to enjoy a craft cocktail and we often share a Caesar salad and the always-fresh coconut curry grouper or a tender 8-oz. filet mignon. 

Whenever we’re not sharing, I will usually get one of the following: the lollipop lamb chops shown here, the 16-oz. prime rib or the diver scallops, and the seared ahi tuna or potato gnocchi appetizer (although co-owner Jamie Hess says the Baked Imperial Crab Dip is the most popular app). Try any of these and let me know what you think! 

2. Falabella Family Bistro    

6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., The Grove at Wesley Chapel 

(813) 428-6957 

FalabellaBistro.com

Any of my top-10 favorites could have made it to this spot, but one of the main reasons, for me, that Falabella Family Bistro nails down the #2 spot is because of its amazing weekend dinner specials, which can be anything from a honey bourbon pork chop to tender veal parmesan or Marsala and so many more. 

Anytime I miss a possible new favorite special (like on my deadline weekends), I always check with owner Steve Falabella to see if I can still get the special after the weekend. Of course, when your regular menu includes crispy zucchini chips, Sam’s meatballs,short rib ragu and the tender chicken parmesan shown here, plus one of our area’s best dessert displays — and the recent addition of full liquor to go with the Bistro’s already popular wine and beer options — helped make it even more popular with the Nagers. 

3. Zukku-San  

25916 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz 

(813) 419-1351 

ZukkuSushi.com/zukku-san

Although I love the fresh sushi, there’s no doubt that the reason Jannah (who really only enjoys California roll) and I always have to come back to visit Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill is because of the amazing Starters — like deep-fried pork gyoza, steamed Zukku dumplings, veggie spring rolls, the incredible assortment of veggie tempura options (try the sweet potato and/or zucchini) and the chicken (photo) and tenderloin yakitori. The Japanese fried rice, grilled short ribs, crafted bowls and lychee martinis also are favorites. 

4. Pisco Express   

5903 Goldview Pkwy., Ste 109-111 

KRATE at The Grove 

(813) 703-2725 

PiscoRest.com 

Like Lima in New Tampa, there’s only one place in Wesley Chapel serving authentic Peruvian-style fish ceviche de pescado with giant corn kernels (photo) — Pisco Express. But, Jannah and I also crave other dishes at this unique Peruvian-Chinese fusion restaurant, including the fried pork chicharrons, tallarin saltado (with chicken or steak) and lomo saltado (steak sautĂ©ed with onions, tomatoes & peppers). 

5. Azteca D’Oro   

2000 Piazza Ave., Unit 170 

The Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 527-6553

AztecaDoro.com 

From our first visit to the new Azteca D’Oro, Jannah and I agreed that its Mexican food was significantly better than Cantina Laredo, the restaurant Azteca replaced. We love Azteca’s huge menu of authentic dishes you won’t find at other local Mexican restaurants, including the borrego (lamb shank) shown above, the taquitos appetizer, the bar area and the place’s “vibe.” 

6. Cooper’s Hawk  

28963 S.R. 56 

Wiregrass Ranch 

(813) 755-4445 

CHWinery.com 

Although it opened in Wesley Chapel too late in 2023 to earn votes in our Reader Survey, Cooper’s Hawk has been a solid chain restaurant in the Westshore area of Tampa for years, so Jannah and I already had a few favorites, including the pan-roasted mahi (photo), parmesan-crusted filet mignon & others,. But, we’ve also found a few new faves since it opened here. 

7. Grillsmith   

2000 Piazza Ave., Unit 100 

The Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 907-1900 

Grillsmith.com.com 

Grillsmith, the “mini-chain” with five Tampa Bay-area locations, has consistently finished in my top-10 favorites in Wesley Chapel, in large part because of its “Daily Catch,” which can include anything from mahi and grouper to pompano, amberjack and the Mediterranean-style corvina shown above. We do enjoy other entrĂ©es at Grillsmith, including the lemon feta chicken, port wine filet, as well as the crunchy ahi tuna appetizer and the great service. 

8. Noble Crust  

28330 Paseo Dr. 

The Shops at Wiregrass 

Noble-Crust.com

As our readers’ Wesley Chapel Favorite the last three years, Noble Crust also appeals to yours truly, but it seems that several of the dishes that have been my favorites get removed from the seasonally-changing menu or it would finish higher with me, because I love the place. The chicken fried chicken parm, ricotta gnocchi and steak frites (photo) are among my current faves.  

9. The Living Room  

2001 Piazza Ave., Unit 100 

The Shops at Wiregrass 

(813) 934-7911 

TLR.restaurant 

Despite its 20% service charge, the second location of The Living Room has been a welcome addition to the Wesley Chapel dining scene, although Jannah and I differ on our favorite dishes. She loves the beef tenderloin empanadas and pan-seared crab cakes (and the house white cosmo), while I’m partial to the brown butter scallops (photo), adobo-braised pork ossobuco and “You Bet…Churrasco.”  

10. Arroy Thai  

27427 Wesley Chapel Blvd. 

Pinebrook at The Grove Plaza 

(813) 501-4924 

ArroyThaiWesleyChapel.com 

If Jannah were a fan of Thai food, I’d eat at (and take out from) Arroy Thai a lot more. Still the only place in Wesley Chapel for crispy duck, soft shell crabs, and Thai-style chicken with garlic and black pepper sauce, as well as Thai-style house fried rice, Arroy Thai is a little hidden gem in the same plaza as Joe Whiskey’s. 

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel #s 11-25 

11. Yamato 

12. Longhorn Steakhouse 

13. Rice-n-Beans 

Puerto Rico 

14. Pasta di Guy 

15. Florida Ave. Brewing Co. 

16. Top Shelf Sports Lounge 

17. Chick N’Fun 

18. Bubba’s 33 

19. Hungry Greek 

20. Blush Wine Room 

21. EggTown 

22. CafĂ© Zorba 

23. The Bacon Boss HQ 

24. Carrabba’s Italian Grill 

25. Señor Tequila